Critics Say Rebel Wilson's 'Senior Year' Fails To Graduate

Actress Rebel Wilson has headed back to high school in her new Netflix comedy.

The synopsis reads, “A high-school cheerleader falls into a coma before her prom; twenty years later, she awakens and wants to return to high school to reclaim her status and become prom queen.”

The film was directed by Alex Hardcastle and stars Alicia Silverstone, Joshua Colley, and Angourie Rice.

Although the movie came out last week, the rating keeps sinking lower and lower. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the almost two-hour comedy has a 24% critic rating and a 59% audience score a week after its release.

Lynn Venhaus of Webster-Kirkwood Times wrote, “The screenplay is stitched together through contrivances and a cascade of cliches but winds up with a plethora of teen magazine advice...Maybe they should have concentrated on making it funny instead of practicing dance routines?” She gave the film a D score.

Allen Adams of The Main Edge wrote, “With a few tweaks, ‘Senior Year’ might have graduated with honors. Instead, it’s squarely in the middle of the class.” Adams gave the film a 2.5 out of 5.

Matt Pais wrote on his website that the movie “seems to think TBT means totally, bafflingly terrible.” Pais also gave the movie a D score.

Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media wrote, “This is an example of a film with a great premise and a hilarious lead actress that just doesn't get off the ground. That isn't to say that Senior Year doesn't have some very funny moments and lines -- it does, but the package as a whole feels flimsy.” Green gave the film a 3 out of 5.

Davis Nusair of Reel Film Reviews says that the film has a “seemingly foolproof setup that’s squandered virtually from word ‘go.’” Nursair gave the film a 1 out of 4.

Lindsay Press of Culturess wrote, “Unfortunately, from a nostalgic callback to the early 2000s to a teen comedy hopeful, Senior Year fails to be one of the fun and witty films it attempts to emulate or directly references.”

Mae Abdulbaki of Screen Rant wrote, “The lead character, relationship dynamics and premise are surface-level and, despite a few funny moments, Senior Year never lives up to its potential.” She gave the film a 1.5 out of 5.

Austin Burke of Flick Fan Nation wrote, “Rebel Wilson provides a spark, but this script is so tonally inconsistent. They never capitalize on the idea, and the final product is messy.” Burke gave the film a 3 out of 10.

Robert Kojder of Flickering Myth wrote, “I would say Senior Year is most likely to crash and burn, but the film does that itself two minutes in.” He gave the film a 1.5 out of 5.

Kate Erbland of indieWire wrote, “The film chugs through its predictable beats with good humor, but there’s not much else to recommend it. Wilson makes for a fun heroine who’s worth rooting for, bawdy, and down for whatever, but the film isn’t willing to let those tendencies run wild.” She gave the film a C rating.

Courtney Howard of AV Club wrote, “Despite an A+ premise, Senior Year fails to graduate. Don’t expect to be throwing your cap in the air when it’s over.”

The very few positive reviews had high praise for Wilson’s performance. Alex Bentley of CultureMap wrote, “Senior Year could have been just another high school comedy that uses the stereotypical jokes we all recognize. But it rises way above that level thanks to a lead performance by Wilson that cements her as one of the best comedic actors of her generation.”

Fortunately, the movie is available to stream on Netflix so fans of Rebel Wilson don’t have to cough up the price of admission for a movie ticket. Fans of Wilson’s comedy might enjoy this film, but for everyone else, it might be worth just asking for a hall pass.